Synonyms of lawbreaking

lawbreaking 1 of 2

adjective

as in criminal

not restrained by or under the control of legal authority

some sociologists specialize in studying the lawbreaking elements of society

Synonyms & Similar Words

• criminal
• illegal
• rebellious
• illicit
• felonious
• anarchic
• lawless
• disorderly
• unlawful
• defiant
• unruly
• wrongful
• insubordinate
• mutinous
• undisciplined
• illegitimate
• riotous
• refractory
• disobedient
• recalcitrant
• intractable
• froward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• legal
• orderly
• lawful
• legitimate
• law-abiding
• legalized
• obedient
• compliant
• docile
• submissive
• tractable
• amenable

lawbreaking

2 of 2

noun

1

as in crime

a breaking of a moral or legal code

even something as simple as littering is considered an example of lawbreaking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crime
• violation
• sin
• felony
• wrongdoing
• trespass
• sinfulness
• misdeed
• transgression
• debt
• error
• breach
• offense
• misdoing
• malefaction
• misconduct
• infringement
• misdemeanor
• misfeasance
• criminality
• abuse
• corruption
• immorality
• hate crime
• illegality
• unlawfulness
• wickedness
• lawlessness
• bias crime
• fault
• licentiousness
• iniquity
• depravity
• vice
• debauchery
• peccadillo
• foible
• break
• downfall
• iniquitousness
• descent
• fall

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocence
• blamelessness
• morality
• righteousness
• virtue
• goodness
• noncrime
• impeccability
• guiltlessness
• virtuousness
• faultlessness
• irreproachability

2

as in criminality

activities that are in violation of the laws of the state

an outbreak of lawbreaking plagued the city in the months following the end of the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crime
• criminality
• lawlessness
• corruption
• malfeasance
• misconduct
• racketeering
• wrongdoing
• outlawry
• evil
• immorality
• gangsterism
• wickedness
• misdeed
• sin
• hooliganism
• transgression
• trespass
• depravity
• offense
• malefaction
• misdoing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lawbreaking

Noun

Similarly, Newport Beach had warned partygoers to avoid lawbreaking before the takeover. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

These are discrete allegations of lawbreaking, and any remedy must match their magnitude. — David B McGarry, Oc Register, 8 July 2026

Leifman has been leading the charge for a facility that judges could use as an alternative to Miami-Dade’s jails for people whose mental illnesses seem to be the main driver behind their lawbreaking. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026

Both Goss and DeVries agreed senior citizens should notify police if residents have been victims of scams or have concerns before moving ahead with possible lawbreaking schemes. — Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026

In an effort to send a message to any minors planning to descend on the Jersey Shore for a weekend of lawbreaking and recklessness, Vaz is vowing to prosecute both the offending child and their parents. — Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026

These criminal employers profit from lawbreaking. — CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026

The sponsor of the employer crime bill said that lawbreaking was wrong and the bill is constitutional. — Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026

Barack Obama pledged to look forward and not backwards, not only closing the door on prosecutions for executive lawbreaking but also failing to hold accountable those responsible for the 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing Great Recession. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026